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LEAF – Linking Environment And Farming
LEAF Marque Standard Version 9 Additional Guidance Notes Page 1 of 25 09/03/2011
LEAF – Linking Environment and Farming
Additional Guidance Notes for LEAF Marque Global Standard Version 9
This guidance does not include information on all control points since there is relevant material within the
standard. It aims to help farmers and growers to implement Integrated Farm management (IFM) and be
compliant to LEAF Marque standards. Please refer to the LEAF Audit 2010 for further guidance and useful
information and templates where appropriate. A Glossary is attached at the end of this document.
1.0 Organisation and Planning
Principle Summary (not binding for audit purposes):
Good organisation and planning are the keys to a successful IFM approach. Setting objectives and monitoring the results provide the means by which the benefits of IFM can be quantified and demonstrated. As a starting point it is important to identify the short and long term objectives of the farm business by reflecting on: ‘Why do I farm and where do I want my business to go?’ These can cover areas such as: finance and profitability, family considerations, staff motivation, crop performance, livestock performance and welfare, market outlets, environmental commitment, communication with the local community, etc. LEAF has always strongly promoted the rationale of 'Do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons,' and sought to be innovative and prepared for issues which can affect the industry in the future. It is very important to promote and inform interested parties of activities on the farm, and encourage feedback on how your business is perceived and what LEAF, LEAF Marque and integrated farming means for consumers. This can be beneficial to the business, the industry and provide excellent public relations.
1.1 As outlined.
1.2 The LEAF Audit is an on-line self-assessment management tool to help you adopt integrated farm
management (IFM). The audit enables the completion of an action plan based on IFM and the
environment; it allows you to benchmark your farm against others and against your last years score. To
complete the audit firstly join LEAF, whereupon you will be issued with a Username and Password.
Enter the Username and Password at www.leafaudit.org and you will be ready to start with the LEAF
Audit. Think of the LEAF Audit as a tool that you use to target continual environmental improvement of
your farm.
1.3 The most widely recognized assurance scheme for Good Agricultural Practice is GLOBALGAP (Formally
EUREPGAP). Farms that are aiming for LEAF Marque should already have achieved a certificate for
GLOBALGAP or a benchmarked scheme approved by GLOBALGAP for each enterprise on the farm. Any
equivalent scheme must involve independent certification from an approved Certification Body.
Equivalent scheme in Spain will be Integrated Production. This is now ‘Nationally Recognised’ for
various crops and also ‘Region’ recognition for a wide variety of crops. At present there is no
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Accredited Certification Body authorised for this scheme but is considered as a Good Agricultural
Practice Standard.
An up to date list can be found here: http://www.globalgap.org/cms/front_content.php?idcat=29
Applicant standards are also available on the website. It will be the responsibility of the LEAF Marque
Technical Advisory Committee to approve local schemes.
1.4 Your Environmental Policy is your statement to your commitment to optimize your usage of power,
water and other consumables. It is your commitment to reducing the waste that is produced on the
farm and increasing the recycling of those materials that can be re-used. It is also your commitment to
reducing pollution (including ‘greenhouse gas’ emissions) wherever possible on the farm, greenhouse
or production area. The policy that you have must be at the core of your business and everyone
involved with your business must work and operate in accordance with the policy. IFM principles will
help a reduction of ‘greenhouse gases’ (GHG) through good resource management.
http://www.icbe.com/emissions/calculate.asp gives a list of IPCC main GHG's.
A good starting point is with regional or national legislation. If there is legislation in place, make sure
that you understand it and apply it to the everyday activities of your business. You should then
construct your policy to target the optimization of power and water, the reduction of waste through re-
cycling and the minimization of air, water and land pollution through the control of waste. It can look,
at first sight, an almost impossible task. But if you break down your policy into these sections, the
construction and implementation of your policy is very achievable. The policy must be communicated
to all staff and permanent staff (see 1.8) must have signed off a record to show they have read and
understood this aim of the business.
Example content of an Environmental Policy
To continue to adopt the principles of Integrated Farm Management (IFM) to increase biodiversity levels, and
mitigate the effects of agricultural production on the environment
To use the LEAF audit, alongside energy, carbon and water auditing tools, as a method of reviewing and
assessing the farms environmental performance
To continue to use precision farming techniques to maximise fertiliser efficiency, ensuring that only as much as
necessary and as little as possible is applied
To explore the use of biological pest control techniques where their use could be used to reduce the use of
artificial pesticides on the farm
To maintain and improve soil structure by using min-till cultivation techniques and maintaining organic matter
levels by the incorporation of crop residues (where appropriate)
To continue to communicate to all farm staff what key species and habitats exist on the holding and what they
can do to maintain and enhance them (eg. avoiding driving on field margins to prevent disturbance to nesting
bird species)
To meet all regulatory and legislative requirements including those that pertain to the protection and
enhancement of water, soil and air
To reduce the total amount of waste produced on the farm and ensure that every recycling opportunity is fully
exploited
1.5 From this policy, you can construct your forward plan.
1.6/1.7 As outlined.
1.8 All permanent staff, whether part or full time must be aware of and understand the policy.
1.9 You can use email as a means of communication and also display your Environmental Policy on your
website using links.
1.10 As outlined.
1.12 Updated to CFP (2010) this standard is all about reducing waste in the supply chain within the grower’s
control.
1.13-1.15 As outlined.
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1.16 Training on IFM practices and principles will help your team to appreciate your care and concern for
the whole farm environment, I t will also give them a better understanding and commitment to
sustainable production.
1.17 The main processes contributing to carbon release (expressed as carbon equivalents) are livestock,
fertilisers and manure use, and fuel. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transfer this
carbon to the soil resulting in a slow build-up of carbon in the soil. This then counterbalances carbon release
from other processes. The key thing is to be consistent from year to year to ensure that you compare like with
like, and to make sure you have access to the relevant information for the areas you want to cover, e.g.
electricity bills.
http://www.farmingfutures.org.uk/sites/default/files/casestudy/pdf/FF_FS25_Farm%20carbon%20acc
ounting.pdf
This fact-sheet gives examples of online general carbon accounting tools and life cycle greenhouse gas
analysis of goods and services.
Data gathering: The basic information required will be along the following lines, the tool used will give
further detail on how to input the figures:
Electricity: kWh of electricity used – from bills for the relevant time period. Make sure that the total is
just for farm enterprises; you may want to look at housing or any let buildings separately. If possible
use actual meter readings, rather than estimates;
Fuel: Litres of fuel used – to include diesel, petrol and LPG. You may wish to focus just on fuel used for
farm operations, and leave out fuel used for other purposes If you use contractors for any of your field
operations, account for or estimate of the number of hours they worked and the sizes of tractors used
(horsepower, or an estimate of this);
Livestock: Average number of head on farm over the year _ Average number of grazing days per head
(for lambs the % time at grass) % of manure (while housed) that is stored as slurry, spread daily or
stored as FYM;
Crops: Tonnes of crop harvested, Tonnes of straw moved off farm or estate to another business
Hectares of grass & soft/top fruit crops;
Nutrients: Tonnes or cubic metres of nutrients applied to land and % N, Tonnes of lime applied
Tonnes or cubic metres of animal manures or slurry that is brought onto or leaves the farm and % N;
Land use change: Hectares of land where use has changed, e.g. from grass to arable or woodland to
arable or vice versa – this will estimate carbon sequestration as well as emissions;
Woodland: Total hectares of woodland on the farm, broken down between broadleaved and conifer,
leaving out hedgerows and orchards.
Input these figures into a calculator.
Results: You can use the output from the calculator to compare with other farms, explore how
different management practices can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and see where there may be
energy or input saving measures.
See also http://www.sac.ac.uk/mainrep/pdfs/carbonfootprint.pdf
2.0 Soil Management & Fertility
Principle Summary (not binding for audit purposes):
Soil is the basis of all agricultural production and the conservation and improvement of this valuable
resource must be of the highest priority in the adoption of IFM. This allows produce to be grown on healthy
and biologically active soil with a satisfactory level of organic matter, a good physical structure and sufficient
fertility.
2.1 The advice that you take on crop nutrition, is key advice in the successful production of your crops. A
LEAF farmer must take advice from someone who is qualified to give that advice. Specific professional
development schemes are open to nutritional advice specialists in various countries and, if this is the
case, A LEAF farmer should take advice from someone who is qualified in such a scheme. In the
absence of a professional scheme, the equivalent qualification may be gained at degree level that is
majors in agronomy. See 3.14
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A LEAF farmer should request and keep on file the up to date and relevant certificate that
demonstrates the competence of the individual who delivers nutritional advice.
2.2 A nutrient management plan looks at the equilibrium between the requirements of your crop, the
nutrient index of the land, the nutrient content of the plant debris from the previous crop and the type
of nutrition being added to grow the crop. So, a LEAF Farmer will need to know soil nutrition indices,
through regular soil analysis. The nutritional requirements of various crops are documented and
available for reference. Such a reference document would be Fertiliser Recommendations (RB209
version 8) in the UK. Similar documents are produced in other countries. There are also similar
guidelines for Phosphate and Potash residues from previous crop trash incorporated into the land.
Manures and other organic fertilizers can be analysed for nutritional content. Remember to show
emphasis on efficiency and reducing use.
With all of this information, a farmer can manage the application of applied nutrition to achieve
equilibrium. Enough for growing the crop, not too much so that there is leaching or unnecessary
accumulation and an optimization of expenditure correlated to yield output.
Expect to see a nutrient balance for the crop. Starting with the crop extraction quantities and then
inputs from: soil, water, organic material and base dressings. This should then be planned for the crop
duration and adjusted through observations or foliar analysis.
Where applicable, consideration of Nitrate vulnerable zones and legal NO3 for lettuce and spinach
must be given.
2.3 Soil Mapping should be broken down into the constituent parts of your farm. It is about risk assessing
the farm as a whole and using this to manage the problems such as erosion, run-off, soil structure
damage in the wet, nutrient leaching and water course contamination prevention. The easiest way is
through the physical drawing of a colour coded map, outlining the different soil structures and
gradients of the farm. This soil mapping is then implanted into your whole farm conservation and
production manual. It outlines which activities must and must not be carried out in each of the areas of
the farm so that the problems that can be faced, are minimised as much as possible.
Each farm can have a soil map. Some farms will have a whole range of different soils and gradients,
some farms will be simply one similar type.
2.4 LEAF encourages the use of Green Manures and Composts. Where appropriate, management of formal
composting of plant wastes and manures is actively encouraged. Vermiculture and Vermicomposting is
a simple and straightforward way to compost these materials on a small scale basis.
http://www.organicagcentre.ca/DOCs/Vermiculture_FarmersManual_gm.pdf
Growing of green manures as break crops and returning the plant material back into the land before
the commercial crop is sown, is an excellent way of stopping erosion, stopping leaching and putting
organic matter back into the land. In situations where climatic conditions are adverse, hot and low
rainfall – Mediterranean and North Africa countries, increasing soil fertility through green manures or
similar techniques, may not be viable- water may be scare, conservation of the little that is there would
be the objective. Wind erosion is a potential problem in dry areas. Please note that organic soil
improvement can reduce ‘greenhouse gases’ by locking up carbon in the soil.
2.5/2.6 As outlined.
2.7 For annual cropping situations, a 3 year cropping rotation plan is a must for a LEAF grower. The
rotation strategy should concentrate on the rotation of different crop types, so as to ensure minimum
build up of potentially threatening pest and disease levels in the soils and surrounding environment. If
mono-cropping is the only option, consider the use of short-term break crops for either cutting and
composting or cutting and incorporating.
2.8 – 2.10 As outlined.
2.11 Training of people working on nutrition application on the farm is essential. Training should be
commensurate with the type of application that is being undertaken. Key training points will include
accurate calculations of the amount of nutrition to apply per unit area, placement of nutrition in
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relation to the crop, control of placement in order to protect the environment. Training is an objective
activity. There must be a clearly set out training document with clear records of trainees and
successfully completed training sessions.
This should be for all staff, even if they are just following instructions-such as “two bags of A, and 1 bag
of B every 5 days in the fertigation tank”. This is often thought not to be necessary.
2.13 Effective nutrient management for crops and livestock is an essential activity on all farms.
Sample questions:
• Q. What is your annual usage of (bagged) Nitrogen (N) fertiliser?
• ___________ kg N per Tonne crop
• ___________kg N per 1000 litres milk
• _________________kg N per animal
•
Q. What is your annual usage of N applied in Farm Yard Manure (FYM) that is imported onto the
farm and available to the crop?
• ___________ kg N per Tonne crop
• ___________kg N per 1000 litres milk
• _________________kg N per animal
•
Q. What is your annual usage of N fixed by legumes?
• ___________ kg N per Tonne crop
• ___________kg N per 1000 litres milk
• _________________kg N per animal
3.0 Crop Health and Protection
Principle Summary (not binding for audit purposes):
IFM uses and encourages continual improvement in pest control measures that have minimal impact on the
environment and human health and which promote sustainability and profitability. A well established and
managed crop will be more competitive with weeds, more resilient to attack from pests and diseases and
should require fewer pesticide inputs.
3.1 Crop Protection for a LEAF farmer is an integrated system.
all have an influence on crop protection and, when used together, can significantly strengthen a Crop
Protection Programme over and above simply using a pesticide.
• Resistant Varieties
• Companion Plants
• Antagonistic/Parasitic Fungus Species
• Rotation
• Soil Structure
• Nutritional Input
• Growing within the ‘Right Season’
• Use of predators
• Use of traps
• Crop Nets
• Correct Irrigation Practices
• Dust Management
• Pesticide Choice
• Application Timing
• Customer Specification
• Use of HOT (mustard) crops for soil BIO disinfection
• Scouting
• Use of weather predictions Temp x ºH .
Your Crop Protection Policy should be drawn up with all of these factors being considered.
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3.2 A sophisticated Crop Protection Policy will have, at the core of its considerations, a pest resistance
avoidance strategy. Farmers should make a plan to rotate applications of active ingredients (where the
legislation and customer preference allows), and employ non-chemical techniques wherever practically
and economically feasible. Making use of insect barriers is a key point, as well as the introduction of
predators. An integrated pest, weed and disease control system, is essential practice in the fight
against resistant species. Always think of what can be done to control the problem BEFORE using a
pesticide.
3.3 Scouting is the method that is used to determine the range and quantities of Pests present in a crop.
People on-farm should be trained to identify pests. There should be a structured monitoring procedure
in the crop, with a structured and quantifiable recording procedure of problems seen, with a threshold
based decision system. Certain pests and disease levels can also be linked into climatic factors such as
temperature, free water on the surface of the leaves, humidity and times of the year. The agronomist
may be the only person responsible for crop scouting in some situations – farm workers may be only
seasonal and training may not be a valid option.
All of this together, leads to an accountable system of pest, disease and weed identification, target and
control.
3.4 The use of these counts, conditions and thresholds, provides justification to apply, or not to apply a
crop protection product. A properly completed scouting sheet, with the problems found expressed as a
percentage of what was inspected, cross–correlated against a pre-determined threshold, is the basis of
the written record and justification for a crop protection application.
“Official” (Regional Agricultural Office) thresholds may be available and used as a base for P +D controls
and modified to local farming conditions. In some cases sampling procedures may be available –
number of leaves per plant or plants sampled per m2, number of fruits per tree etc.
3.5 Training the staff who are employed to monitor pests, disease and weeds, is of key importance.
Training should be relevant to the crop rotation of the farm and should concentrate on the usual pests,
diseases and weeds found in and on those crops.
Training should be conducted by an individual who is a professional agronomist and who has a good
working knowledge of pest, disease and weed control.
Those being trained should be trained according to a schedule and training should be recorded. A basic
exam at the end of training, to demonstrate a level of competence, is encouraged. Use photographs
and pictures as much as possible during training, as a useful recognition tool
The agronomist may be the only person responsible for crop scouting in some situations – farm
workers may be only seasonal and training may not be a valid option.
3.6 Look at the consequences of what you are aiming to do in terms of crop protection and Pest, Disease &
Weed control. If you spray a chemical, as well as treating the problem, what will be the consequences
on:
• Bees?
• Invertebrate Predators?
• Companion Plants?
• Field Boundaries?
• Potential Water Contamination?
• People Safety?
• Medium/ Long-Term soil contamination?
• Vertebrates in the crop?
• The adjacent crop or dwellings?
• Beneficial insects – side effects?
A risk assessment may be a valid option for valuating options for chemical applications based on above
list.
If you use physical means to control a problem in a crop, such as weeds, what will the consequences be
to:
• Nesting birds and eggs?
• Bumble Bees?
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• Burrowing animals living within the crop root zone, or vertebrates living in the crop canopy?
• The root system of the crop?
• Ground compaction (more passes up and down the field than with a wide boom sprayer)?
There are consequences to every situation, some of them very negative to the environment of the
farm. LEAF asks us to think about these consequences and mitigate environmental damage through
pre-thinking our activities and choosing the most appropriate solution for successful crop growth and
good environmental management.
3.7 If you are going to reduce the rate of the chemical to be applied, from that of the recommended dose
rate, there must be an objective justification made before doing this. For instance, the crop may be at a
juvenile stage and a full dose of protectant fungicide is not warranted. The weeds could be non-wax
coated and so the contact herbicide rate can be significantly reduced.
Always record the justification for reduced rate application.
3.8 Your planned Crop Protection Policy will have outlined the steps that you can take on your farm to
minimise the damage to beneficial organisms and the environment. By following these pre-determined
plans and recording your activity, you can demonstrate that you have taken all reasonable precautions
to target the pest and cause least negative impact to the environment and the ‘Beneficials’. Think
about:
• Crop Protection Product Choice
• Which Predators are active in the crop?
• Timing of Application
• Where spraying stops and starts at the Headland
• Wind Speeds
• Rain Forecasts (run-off into water courses)
• Persistence of pesticides
• Side effects on beneficial insects
• Some chemicals have low toxological side effects but may be very dangerous for water pollution.
• Rotation of different types of herbicides to reduce build up of resistant species to one type of
herbicide.
Applications of some pesticides have known non desired side effects – red spider, white fly outbreaks.
By thinking first and acting smart: Beneficial insects and wildlife can be protected against the
detrimental effects of agrochemicals.
3.9 Harvest intervals must be recorded, against application dates and cross correlated against proposed
harvest dates, before harvest takes place. In line with GLOBAL GAP
3.10 A LEAF farmer must be able to demonstrate that there is control of the area that is to be sprayed and
that the spraying activity does not, mainly through drift, negatively impact of people and the
environment surrounding the spray zone. Consideration must be taken about;
• Wind Conditions
• 6m Buffer Strips between fields and wildlife and residential zones
• Training of spray teams
• Spray application types (likely or not likely to drift/go straight to target)
• Clear field boundaries
3.11 It is not permissible to cause contamination of the environment or of water, through the activity of
mixing chemicals and filling up/washing out sprayers. Special areas must be constructed to contain any
spillages and deal with waste water or tank washings in a safe manner. Digging pits and back filling with
charcoal is a good, low cost method of constructing a catchment area which can absorb spillages and
overflows. Correct construction will mean that such spillages will remain within the designated area
and not migrate through ground water or surface run-off, to sensitive areas. All fill up and mixing areas
must have a solid, level surface on which to work and there must be restricted access to the mixing and
fill up area.
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Filling areas on large farms may be positioned at various points with no restriction for access – one
would expect to see: signage, first aid box (in tractor cabin), emergency/accident procedures and clean
water for washing any spillage on operator.
3.13 Pesticide Spillages can damage both people and the environment. Even if your farm is in an area where
there may be no one in authority to inform in the case of an accidental spillage, you must have an
action plan which is easy for anyone on the farm to follow. Wherever possible, this action plan should
lead you to call on professional help to deal with contamination. If this is not possible, then the action
plan must involve those people on the farm who are trained to deal with agrochemicals. Label details
on the pesticide container should give good information and direction as to what to do in the event of
personal contamination. Larger scale environmental contamination must be dealt with on a case by
case basis. Your biggest responsibility is to contain the spillage and stop it contaminating secondary
areas.
3.14 It is important that your advice on pesticides is given by a trained person. Training can be to a
professional standard such as BASIS or suitable training can be given as part of an agricultural
engineer’s course at university. Suitable training is almost always accompanied by a training certificate
and it is important that any person giving a LEAF farmer advice can demonstrate (through a valid,
printed certificate) that they are competent to do so. Pesticide recommendations used on the farm can
be carried out by a senior crops manager, but there needs to be frequent verification of
recommendation and application by the trained agronomist An agricultural/horticultural degree would
be the minimal qualification in some countries. Out of UK demonstration of continual professional
development should be recorded – courses, magazines, trade fares, meeting with pesticide companies
on release of new products, biological control etc.
3.15 All members of the team involved with the application of pesticides, must go through a yearly
course/refresher course. This can be carried out by a national or international recognized trainer, or
can be carried out by a senior crops manager who has been independently trained in pesticide
handling, application and personal safety. Training must be formal. It must be recorded and must be
specific to the individual involved. Training should be accompanied by a basic exam so that the trainees
can demonstrate suitable competence in the trained subjects. Training should be relevant to the types
and methods of handling and application on the farm. So, for instance, there is no point training people
how to use tractor mounted booms, if they are applying the chemical in a plastic house, with a lance.
All spray team members should where available have a recognised national certificate. In absence
internal training by a qualified agronomist would be acceptable providing course is planned and details
of content are recorded for verification. An agricultural/horticultural degree would be the minimal
qualification for training sprayer team members. The exam may not be a viable option in some
countries.
3.16 Where schemes exist to have spray application equipment calibrated externally, then a LEAF farmer
should manage this as a yearly calibration. Calibration is ‘per’ machine and a Certificate should be kept
to demonstrate that the machine has been successfully calibrated. Where no such scheme exists, then
LEAF farmers should calibrate their own machines. Spray volumes should be measured against target
and any variation of 5% or over (against the expected spray volume per unit pressure per unit time),
should result in a nozzle check and appropriate replacement. Not only does this contribute directly to
environmental and residue management, it also saves you money through the control of application
dose and the more efficacious use of the pesticide on the target organism.
Document 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and Council, provides a framework for the
sustainable use of pesticides. Previous European Directives for Sprayer verification: UNE-EN
13790 (1 -2) 2003.
3.17 All Pesticide applications must be recorded, in line with GLOBAL GAP requirements.
3.18 Pesticide stores must conform to the minimum standard required by GLOBAL GAP
3.19 Pesticides that you have in your store must have a legal and approved use in that country for on the
crops that you grow on your farm. Rules of extrapolation can apply (GLOBALGAP Annex CB.2)
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3.20 The usage profile for any of the chemicals that are in your store must be in line with the label approval
for that chemical. If, in agreement between you the farmer and your client, you have extended harvest
intervals, reduced rates, reduced total number of applications allowed or extended the period of time
between applications, then this can be a positive thing. You must show accountability for the use of
wetters/adjuvants/penetrants as these can DIRECTLY contribute to increased residues in the product
and can even lead to residues to exceed the statutory MRL in the country of sale.
Records must indicate pesticide registration number where this exists.
3.21 Controlling Drift onto neighbouring properties, fields, crops, residential areas, livestock and people, is a
factor of due care and attention. There are many ways to achieve this and each farming situation
deserves consideration for its own unique solution. The straightforward win is a 6m buffer zone.
Practical is some situations, impractical in others. So, a LEAF farmer should consider a number of
factors and come up with an appropriate action plan Some issues to consider in making this plan
include;
• Training of spray operators
• Careful/restricted use of mist blowers and air assisted blowers around field margins
• Nozzle choice
• Maximum wind velocities for spraying such areas
• Non-Sprayed boundaries
• Time of day for spraying these areas. The cool of evening generally reduces wind speed and spray
volatilization
• Planting of suitable ‘Green Barriers’ (e.g. maize) at least 2 m away from the crop, which grow tall
enough to limit spray drift, if appropriate within the crop rotation strategy. Clearly though, the Green
barrier becomes a part of the environment and we do not want to solve one problem whilst at the
same time creating another. Generally, it is the management of a common sense approach to reduce
the risk of drift into sensitive areas.
4.0 Pollution Control and By-Product Management
Principle Summary (not binding for audit purposes):
Agriculture and horticulture are no different from other industries in that nearly every process and practice
results in the production of ‘by-products’ or ‘wastes’ and therefore pose a risk of pollution and threat to the
environment. In many cases farm ‘wastes’ are a valuable resource and this section focuses on their optimum
use in order to make cost savings and reduce pollution.
4.1 It is always a good plan to get professional help with the planning of the Pollution Control Strategies for
the whole farm. LEAF recommends that you do so. However, in the absence of any professional help,
there is nothing to prevent you from assessing which waste products are produced on the farm and the
potential for pollution to contaminate the farm and the environment outside the farm. The planning of
your control strategies starts here.
4.2 Waste minimization is not only a key factor in the profitability of the business; it is also a key factor in
utilizing resources on the farm and preventing pollution and contamination. Whilst not aimed at
farmers outside of the UK, the following document may well give you ideas as to how to minimize
waste on your own farms.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/topics/agwaste/wasteminimisation.pdf Like many of
the auditable points in the LEAF MARQUE standard, the question that most growers have is, ‘where do
I start with this’? The waste minimization document helps farmers to break down the categories of
their farming and to focus on the key areas. A good place to start is looking at costs, purchases and the
consequences of some purchases. For instance:
• What have we purchased in what quantity?
• How much of the usable part of the purchase was used?
• How much of the purchase was packaging?
• Could we have minimized waste by buying less quantity a little more frequently?
• Could we have minimised waste by buying the same quantity in ‘bigger units’?
Or
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• How much green waste and manure was produced?
• How much of this was composted?
• What is the nutritional value of the compost?
• How much inorganic fertilizer was purchased?
• How much could we have off-set against this purchase by proper composting?
Water is a most precious substance of commodities, whether or not you have to pay for it. One of the
first areas to look at is the waste of water through leaks and poorly maintained nozzles/jets/sprinklers.
These and many more themes should be explored. Remember, waste is not only bad for the
environment; it costs the farm money as well.
4.3 The manure management plan is applicable to those farmers who use any form of nutrition other than
inorganically synthesized nutrition. The plan will list the types of manures that will be used on the farm
(animal and vegetable), the way in which the manures will be used, the storage conditions for the
manures, the controls in place for the prevention of pollution and contamination to other parts of the
farm, the controls in place to prevent contamination of crops and the controls in place to prevent
contamination of water. One of the main methods of achieving control is through mapping out the
farm into areas of usage, storage, non-usage and critical contamination areas.
All applications, timings and quantities must be recorded.
Manure Management Plans should be integrated into the Nutritional Management Plan, as a whole.
There could be situations where liquid commercial organic material is used bought in bulk 1000lts
tanks and applied through irrigation system. This type of material has an N: P: K content and is used as
a soil conditioner. This will need to be recorded and contemplated in nutrient balance and stored
correctly.
4.4 Bunding of the fuel tanks. For all tanks above 200 litres a bund must be constructed. Quite simply,a
bund is a low wall that is sealed sufficiently enough to contain liquid (in this case oil & petroleum
products). Most farms which have the need for 200 Litre plus tanks, have the capacity to build walls on
the farm. How high to build the wall depends upon the length and breath of the walls and the
corresponding volume that they contain. Aim for around 10% more volume containment than the
maximum capacity of the tank/containers. Make sure that all of the taps and outflows from the tank
are within the bund boundary.
Where the fuel store is not a permanent tank, but moveable units (such as 40 Gallon Drums), then
there needs to be movement of units in and out of the bunded area. In such cases, it is feasible to
construct a vertical sluice in the form of an entrance into the bunded area. A properly constructed
sluice, slotting into a flanged housing, will make a doorway when removed and seal the bund when
slotted in place.
LEAF farmers should ensure that the bunded area is more than 10 metres away from areas of high risk
contamination such as open drains and ditches.
There are specially prepared doubled walled 1000 litre tanks for diesel storage that will not require
bunding. These must have a pump with a top unload system-otherwise leakage around the entry point
into the tank will still occur.
The bund and base must be impermeable and last for 20 years with routine maintenance – Evidence of
this will be recorded inspections and any building regulations / certificates. Every part of the store must
be within the bund. Taps and pipes must point downwards and be locked shut when not in use.
The Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) report 163, on the
construction of bunds for oil storage tanks, explains how to build good quality bunds.
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/PMHO300AYCK-e-e.pdf?lang=_e
You need to make sure your bund is built properly; it must be able to withstand total failure of a full
tank.
See also: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/businesses/agriculture/61867.aspx
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4.5 In Line with Good Agricultural Practice, all application machinery must be maintained & calibrated
regularly. Records must be kept for each vehicle or machine.
4.6 Through the whole farm map showing water courses and environmentally sensitive areas, it is possible
to plan carefully for the disposal of wastes and by-products. It is essential that wastes and by-products
do not pollute the environment. Farmers should demonstrate that careful planning has gone into the
disposal of wastes and by-products
4.7 As outlined.
4.8 The action plan on the reduction of the impact of potential pollutants on the environment should be
conducted in the form of a risk assessment.
So,
• Pollutant Name
• Pollutant Type
• Pollution Potential (Air, Soil, Water, People)
• Pollution potential activity (Application, Disposal, Storage, Handling etc.)
• Pollution Risk Reduction method employed (or aimed for)
• Monitoring Method Used
• Corrective action sequence to be actioned in the event of a pollution issue.
4.11 As outlined.
5.0 Energy Efficiency and Water Management
Principle Summary (not binding for audit purposes):
LEAF is committed to the efficient use of fuels and energy and water on farms, in particular the improvement
of the on-farm energy balance, for both environmental and economic reasons and using water from
sustainable sources. CO2 is the most important greenhouse gas and farmers can minimise its production by
using energy as efficiently as possible.
5.1 The energy efficiency audit should be broken down into the activities on the farm that use energy. This
is an audit that can be completed internally on the farm.
Plan, do, review: Like all audits, it looks at what is currently happening on the farm in terms of energy
usage and then looks at ways to improve efficiencies by reducing inputs whilst at least maintaining
outputs.
Definition – An energy audit identifies and evaluates energy management opportunities on the farm.
During an audit, a baseline is developed to characterise and record energy use. Individual unit
operations, processes, and major energy-consuming equipment are evaluated to identify energy
management opportunities and high-return-on-investment projects. Typically an action report is
produced that describes the baseline, each conservation opportunity area, an estimate of the cost to
implement the changes, the savings that will be generated, and an estimation of the payback period.
Look at electricity/gas consumption for the farm. Benchmark units used over the last 12 months and
put in the action plan to reduce consumption over the next 12 months.
Tip: Look at bulb type, insulation, thermostatic settings, timer settings, maintenance of equipment.
Where power, light and heating/cooling is used directly in the production of the crop, correlation can
be drawn of units of energy used against volume/weight of product harvested and sold. How can this
be made more efficient in a forward looking plan?
Vehicles that are correctly maintained and serviced against a pre-planned schedule, are more likely to
be fuel efficient than those that are not. Fuel usage against hours worked, over a period of a year, can
form part of a useful guide to the efficiency rating of farm vehicles. Properly insulated cold rooms, with
doors that can and are shut when not being used, are significantly more energy efficient than those
that are not. All of these factors directly contribute to the improvement of energy use and all can be
assessed and targeted in your energy audit.
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Hint: How about evaluating the potential for the production of energy from the natural resources on
the farm? What is the potential for a heat pump? What is the potential for a small Hydro-Power
scheme? What is the potential for a wind turbine?
Lighting form solar energy in non working areas – toilets, corridors, archive store, pesticide, fertilizer
stores etc.
Solar panels for hot water supply are a possible energy alternative as well as the latest renewable
energy innovations.
5.2/5.3 As outlined.
5.4 A Yearly Reviewed Water Management plan is an essential tool for the accountable use of water on the
farm. LEAF encourages the farmer to think along the following lines and to act to prevent any
unnecessary use of water.
A farmer must be able to demonstrate that the water that is being used on the farm is covered by the
appropriate licenses and, if no abstraction licenses are needed, evidence must be kept on file that this
is so. You might also want to consider the ‘Riparian’ rights and responsibilities of any watercourse.
http://www.surreyheath.gov.uk/environment/floodingdrainage/rightsandresponsibilities.htm
Where crops are watered, farmers must be able to demonstrate that the most appropriate system of
irrigation for both the crop and for water efficiency is being used or is in the plan to be used in the near
future. Irrigation plans should also be drawn up to demonstrate a working plan for irrigation timing
that is both agronomically right for the crop as well as lower risk evaporation potential.
Schedules should be backed up by agronomically acceptable data such as: tensiometer,
evapotranspiration, weather data, and water/soil conductivity for leach of salts. Where possible water
consumption should be recorded and bench marked against previous years. (See 5.7) Water storage in
areas where water may not be readily available throughout the year is a factor to be considered to
assure compliance to full cropping cycle.
Farmers should be able to demonstrate that there is a working maintenance schedule of irrigation
machinery and equipment that actively looks at prevention and repair of leaks in the system. Irrigation
should be timed and controlled so as to cause least risk of runoff and water wastage. Run-off and
wastage can be mitigated through slope and contour management, for instance.
The water management plan should also manage discharges of used water back onto the farm. This
links in with the pollution control management plan.
Hint: Can discharged water be organically processed through a Reed Bed System? Relatively
inexpensive to set up, foul water enters the system and clean water exits the system. This is a natural
way of reintroducing water back into the environment.
http://www.eco-web.com/index/category/2.1.1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructed_wetland
http://www.bio-pro.de/en/region/biolago/magazin/02422/index.html
5.5 -5.7 As outlined
5.8 Helping to improve water efficiency having measured changes? By adopting Integrated Farm
Management (IFM) LEAF Marque farmers follow a set of principles across the whole farm in order to
deliver a more sustainable business. Water efficiency can be improved by in many ways. The LEAF
Marque standard and the standards that it builds on encompass best practice in an integrated way to
help improve the farms water efficiency.
LEAF Marque farmers must measure water efficiency based on yield and implement a plan that aims to
improve sustainable water use (5.7). Water resource can be defined as natural rainfall, subterranean
water (water table) or impounded water. Irrigated water can be from natural sources such as
boreholes, rivers etc these would be depleting natural sources, impounded water stored during
abundant periods of flow or rainfall are more sustainable and should be encouraged. Natural water i.e.
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rainfall, needs to be managed to gain optimum efficiency i.e. ensuring that all natural water is utilised
efficiently through maximising soil capacity and reducing runoff, evaporation and transpiration. LEAF
Marque growers should maximise water storage of wasted water i.e. capture rainfall, flood water and
capture water during abundant periods of flow all within local laws.
It needs an integrated approach, there is no one solution, it’s the combination of measures that will
ensure optimal use of the water resource, and these are some of the practices that can be considered
to help farms improve water efficiency in crops:
• Soil water monitoring and scheduling such as tensiometer, neutron probe or EnviroSCAN
• Best practice in soil management for optimal soil structure for maximising water holding capacity.
• Maximising organic matter content will aid good soil structure and improve water holding capacity
• Variety choice, choosing varieties that utilise water more efficiently.
• Crop systems will impact on the efficiency of natural water and irrigated water
• Nutrient balancing will have an impact on optimal plant condition and growth.
• Water stress will be reduce through good plant husbandry
• Heat stress can be reduce through different practices such as crop covers
• Stress chemicals, anti stress chemicals will aid plant condition during drought periods and maintain
root growth
• Reduce wind evaporation through reducing wind speed by the use of windbreaks
• Use of soil mulches to reduce evaporation
• Soil improvers such as compost
• Ground cover plants used as soil stabiliser and subsequent mulch
• Green manures
• Water footprint embedded water use of inputs
• Canopy management to reduce evaporation and transpiration
• Crop load management for optimal utilisation of natural soil water
• Weather forecasting coupled with soil monitoring to avoid over irrigation
• Field monitoring for plant stress using infrared photography to identify inefficiency of irrigation or
natural water availability
• Precision measurement and application of water
• Breeding drought resistance into plants
• Biological activity in soil
• Use of rhizobacteria in dry soils, naturally occurring bacteria
• Cultivation choices i.e. minimum tillage
5.9 Water is a precious commodity / resource and therefore conserving it in a multitude of ways will
reduce your reliance from direct abstraction or using the mains supply. Therefore, your answers from
http://www.leafuk.org/myleaf/services/Questionnaires.eb should be used to monitor your water
storage from other sources.
6.0 Landscape and Nature Conservation
Principle Summary (not binding for audit purposes):
Care for the environment is at the core of IFM, and for many people the demonstration of this care is a living
farm landscape that enhances people’s experience of the countryside. Conservation and landscape issues
cannot be bolted on to the farm management as an afterthought; they must be totally integrated. Landscape
and conservation are becoming increasingly important in agriculture. It is important to remember that
landscape and wildlife are like any other product of the farm; what is achieved depends on the starting
conditions.
6.1 The Whole Farm Conservation Audit: A fundamental approach to LEAF MARQUE, is through the
understanding of the environmental features associated with your farm. LEAF recognizes that there are
very many different types of farms around the world, ranging from farms of many thousands of
hectares in the Veld of Southern Africa, to small sub hectare parcels of family owned land in South East
Asia, to single half hectare greenhouse structures amidst thousands of other greenhouse structures all
crammed together in the same area of Southern Europe.
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Thus, there cannot be a single blueprint for a whole farm conservation audit, but each farming business
can become aware of the distribution of key wildlife habitats, the species of plants and animals that
can be found on and around the farm and the key features on the farm. The purpose of the audit is to
become aware of these and then use this information to plan a profitable farming business which is in
balance with a conservation and environmental enhancement plan.
Farmers and growers can use any or all of the bullet points in the following list to base their audit on.
Perhaps one of the best ways to collate the information generated by the audit is to draw up a scale
map of the farm and to mark in the features accordingly.
Wetlands, Lakes, Ponds, Rivers and Streams: Where are they and how are they associated with the
farm? Is there a seasonal rise and fall in water levels? Does outflow from the farm drain into these
areas? Is there a drying up period of the year where there is no water?
Associated Flora & Fauna: Which animals, birds and plant-life are associated with these water courses
and wetlands? Identification, mapping and number counts are important in your audit.
Species mapping: The same principle of a map based audit can be used for the general mapping of
animals, birds and plant-life. A good plan here is to integrate together the mapping of main species. For
instance, in un-cropped land such as woodland areas you can integrate the tree species mapping with
the main mammal and bird species to be found there. Build into this, the main plant species prevalent
there and you have managed an integrated audit of a key area of a farm.
In smaller farming units (even those under one hectare), the boundaries between fields and farms are
usually important areas to map during any audit. Boundary areas often contain a diverse mix of plants,
trees and wildlife and are an important part of conservation planning for the future. Greenhouse and
plastic house structures can often be stand alone and completely un-associated with the natural
features and natural flora and fauna associated with open field production. However, it is still possible
to look at conservation here. Consider water catchment during rains. Consider un-cropped areas that
can be planted. Consider water run off areas, from in-greenhouse watering. Think also about the
encouragement of raptor species as an integrated control measure for rodents. These and many other
factors can be included in an audit. It matters not that there may be nothing in place at the time of the
audit. What matters is that you are considering these areas of conservation and environmental
enhancement and the result of the audit can be positively used in the whole farm conservation plan.
It is expected and understood that some concentrated agronomic units will have little or no
boundaries, or area of known conservation interest. However these areas will not be excluded from
this section; and instead efforts should be clearly made to demonstrate that management and staff
maintain a proactive approach to conservation, and help manage another local area that is suitable and
notable for conservation interest. This can take the form of donating time and or money in supporting
this initiative; or supporting an existing local conservation group. In some cases it may also be possible
for a local area to be developed to maintain local flora and fauna; with a long term plan on how to
develop this site. This could be shared with other local Leaf Growers. Whichever strategy is followed it
is expected that local expert advice is sort to ensure resources used are for the best purpose to
enhance the conservation value of the area.
http://www.leafuk.org/resources/000/309/883/FWAG_template.pdf
6.2/6.3 The Whole Farm Conservation Plan: This is firmly based on the results of the audit. The audit shows,
from an environmental perspective, the natural species and landscape of the farm. The conservation
plan that is put in place is a one to five year plan outlining the farm’s policy and plan for conservation
and enhancement of the biodiversity on the farm. Clearly, all farms are different. There is no one plan
that fits all situations. The plan that you put in place will cover the whole farm.
Some things to consider include;
• Maintaining the habitats that are already on the farm, so as to keep the farm’s indigenous diversity of
species intact.
• Managing these existing habitats so that invasive species do not take over and destroy the natural
balance.
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• Maintenance of fire breaks, so that wild fires in the dry seasons do not destroy large non-cropped
areas of the farm
• Careful maintenance of ditches, dykes, drains and watercourses so that these important areas allow
for the development of diverse flora and fauna, but are not allowed to silt up or clog up and become
ineffective in taking water away from cropped and un-cropped areas.
• A phased plantation programme of indigenous species. It is especially important to understand the
likely consequences of planting certain species of plants and trees, before embarking on a planting
programme. Think about the invertebrate species attracted to plant and tree species. Are these likely
to be pests that cause damage crops, or predators that help you manage the pests that are there. You
should also consider the growth habits and water usage/root habits of large shrubs and trees. Is the
tree likely to shade out the crop? Is the tree deep vertical rooted or shallow lateral rooted? How will
this effect crops? Is there any toxicity linked in with the plant or tree being considered for planting.
How does this sit with your livestock management? What can be planted at and around outflow areas,
which efficiently utilize outflow water leading to less ‘pooling’? How can outflow areas been
landscaped to achieve the same result? Less pooling leads to fewer mosquitoes, so leading to Malaria
reduction in many parts of the world.
• Thoughts about a plantation programme that will encourage beneficial indigenous animal species to
come on to and multiply on the farm. Use of indigenous species is ideal – consideration can be given
for species that are also host plants for beneficial insects.
• Farming activities that, as far as possible, work to conserve the indigenous species on the farm. For
instance; spraying activity that ensures insects such as bees are not foraging when sprays are being
applied. Land tillage that is delayed until ground nests have been vacated at the end of the breeding
season. Solarization as opposed to fumigation.
• In situations where there are reduced possibilities, bird life and use of artificial nests is
recommendable. This occupies very little space and has a low cost. Some species may be protected and
this is a positive contribution for their survival. Bats and owls are examples of a beneficial species on
the farm and can be encouraged using bat boxes and artificial nests. Where possible, LEAF encourages
farmers to use the services of specialist advisors. The input from these experts when the conservation
plan is being drawn up can be invaluable.
6.4 Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) are a prerequisite prior to bringing in virgin or semi-reverted
land into your cropping programme. For those farmers who are farming in regions that are governed by
legislation that covers conversion of such land into cropping land, then the relevant authorities must be
informed and the necessary permissions must be obtained.
All LEAF farmers are required to assess the impact of the conversion of non-cropped land into cropping
land. The key is to minimise the negative impact of such a change. There will inevitably be clearance of
vegetation and some destruction of vertebrate and invertebrate habitats. There will be the addition of
fertilizers, the potential drainage of the site and the exposure of the site to mechanization and tillage.
Farmers can mitigate the impact of such changes, through conservation planning for the new site (Note
that all plans for virgin and reverted land that is earmarked to be changed to cropping land, must be
approved by the LEAF Technical & Advisory committee PRIOR TO the commencement of any activities
on the site). The EIA should highlight the conservation disadvantages to the change of use plan.
Farmers can then plan to replace and integrate some of the lost habitat, so that the overall impact on
the site is significantly less than would have been with the complete removal of the natural habitat.
LEAF recognizes that new lands have to be brought in to the farming plan. However LEAF encourages
the promotion of biodiversity on these new lands, as opposed to a complete clearance into a
monoculture environment.
6.5 It is very important that traditional field boundaries and existing landscape features are neither
removed nor destroyed to make way for farming activities.
6.6 Aggressive field boundary management must be timed to ensure minimum negative impact on the
wildlife species that inhabit those field boundaries.
Examples of how to manage this include:
• The audit of the species that inhabit these boundaries
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• The understanding of the importance of the boundaries to these species, at the various stages of the
year. So, does a key beneficial invertebrate use this boundary as part of its life-cycle? If so, does cutting
back the boundary destroy the invertebrate or its key environment and so limit its effectiveness for
you, against economically damaging pests, on your farm?
• The understanding of the importance of the boundary to provide nesting cover for a certain period of
the year. Will the activity at the boundary adversely affect that?
• The understanding of the invasion of toxic plants to that boundary and the negative impact that this
will have on your livestock if there is no timed control.
• The understanding of the impact of cutting back the boundary, on the food source provided by that
boundary; seeds, berries, insects, pollen, nectar etc
• The understanding of the role that boundary has on wind protection and the seasons where wind can
damage crops and the quality of the produce from those crops.
• The role that the boundaries have at the time of flowering, offering a more attractive source of
nectar for bees and the dramatic negative impact that this can have on the pollination of the
commercial crop.
Impact studies of aggressive boundary management must be made and the appropriate timings and
restrictions put in place, before the work is done. This forms part of the conservation management
plan and is very much an Integrated Farming Policy.
6.7 Water Course Management must also be assessed and timed. Both natural and artificial water courses
are natural habitats for wildlife. By dint of the fact that there is usually plenty of water associated with
the water course, there is often a rapid growth of vegetation which in turn forms a good natural
habitat. Using the same approach that was used to aggressive field boundary management, farmers
should understand the impact of water course clearance, dredging and habitat destruction. This must
be integrated with the sensible and practical approach to keeping watercourses functional for the
prevention of flooding. The most balanced approach involves regular maintenance in line with good
water management. Farmers must not burn vegetation to clear the banks of waterways. Wherever
possible, waterways should not be completely cleared of vegetation and, where appropriate,
vegetation should be allowed to drop seed before it is cut back.
Dried river courses should be considered in the management plan. These areas often are habitats for
animal and plant life and should be correctly managed and protected from farming activities.
6.8 Mature trees should, wherever possible, be left in situ on the farm. If older trees must be felled, then
appropriate licenses must be obtained from the relevant authorities wherever such restrictions are in
place. As part of the whole farm conservation management plan, there can be a planned removal of
non-indigenous trees, which disrupt the environmental balance, which is offset by an indigenous tree
planting programme. Semi-Mature and Mature trees that grow in areas of reverted/virgin land that are
being converted to cropped land must be left untouched unless the position of the tree clearly conflicts
with the planned farming operation. A clearly written impact assessment must be produced to justify
the removal of the tree and provision must be made to at least replace the tree on a one for one basis.
Photographic evidence to support the justification to remove a tree would be a sound idea. Protected
trees in regional or national conservation areas must not be felled.
LEAF encourages the planned planting of indigenous tree species on LEAF farms.
6.10 Deep cultivations around trees damage the roots and can lead to the death of the tree. Approximately
90% of a tree’s root system (feeder roots etc) is in the top 36 inches of soil. You can get an idea of the
radius of the roots on a mature tree from a simple calculation called the Critical Root Radius. So; at a
height of 4½ feet (135 cm) from the ground, measure the diameter of the tree (in inches ... where 1
inch is 2.5 cm). Take the result as a figure in inches and multiply the result by 1.5 feet. This gives the
Critical Root Zone radius from the centre of the tree. As an example, a tree that is 12 inches in diameter
should have 12 x 1.5 = 18 feet radius of critical root zone protection, or a circular diameter around the
tree of 36 feet. (1 foot is 12 inches or 30 cm).
With this knowledge a farmer can plan the limit of the cultivations in proximity to the tree. Not all trees
are the same, but this general rule gives general guidelines for root protection and should lead to the
preservation of a healthy tree in a farming environment. Trees that have been deliberately planted as
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shade or hedgerow trees can sometimes be a great deal closer to cultivations than this guideline allows
for. Identification of these trees in the whole farm conservation plan will lead to planned management
of these ‘utility’ trees.
6.11 LEAF farmers must aim to develop and maintain two metre wide undisturbed field margins around all
of their field boundaries. However, this is not always a practical option for all farmers. LEAF recognizes
that there may be a need to be offer derogations to this ‘Must’ Requirement. For Smallholder Farmers
who farm in a very traditional way, there can often be no more than the width of a man’s foot between
fields. In areas of intensive protected production in Southern Europe, very often the only boundary
between different farmer’s production units are the plastic walls of the two plastic houses.
So, for farmers who have fields no larger than 2 Hectares, there is no need to create this 2 metre
boundary.
Where fields are more than 2 Ha, this field margin does need to be created.
The aim of the 2 metre margin is to protect the natural boundary feature from agrochemical and
fertilizer contamination, and protect the natural flora and fauna associated with the natural boundary
from being disturbed. The margin also provides a ‘corridor’ for natural wildlife to travel between
different areas of the farm.
This situation is common in South east Spain, where field boundaries are evident on large farms but
due to extremely low rainfall no or very little vegetation exists to protect. Irrigation of theses areas
would not be viable as water is scarce. Normally man made reservoirs are present for water storage
and may be considered as a conservation area (birds/fish/reptiles plantings on side walls) in
substitution of the 2 meter strip. However where there is something to protect – example of boundary
with dried river course, the 2 meter strip is obligatory.
LEAF requires a farmer to preserve the natural boundary and, where appropriate, plant new
boundaries and tree-lines. However, there will be some farms, for instance in North Africa, where
there are no natural boundaries to fields over 2 Hectares. Whilst LEAF encourages a farmer to create
natural boundaries and the associated boundary strips (as part of the conservation development plan)
it may often be inappropriate to do so. LEAF can, in these cases, consider issuing a derogation to the
rule (Margin Offset) if the farmer can demonstrate that a suitably sized conservation area, planted with
indigenous species, has been created and managed elsewhere on the farm. A target area for a suitable
sized conservation area should be equivalent to the area that would have been put aside to the 2
metre strip along the margin of each field in excess of 2 Hectares.
6.12 Where field margin strips exist, they should be managed naturally. There should be no additions of
pesticide or fertilizer. Irrigation can be applied if it is appropriate to do so. If the natural growth of
grasses in the wet season, leads to a fire hazard in the dry season, then grasses and other dried plant
material should be cut back and bundled after seed has been shed. Noxious plants growing in these
areas can be dealt with through spot treatment using an approved herbicide, but LEAF farmers are
encouraged to use other methods where at all possible, BEFORE reaching for a herbicide.
6.14/6.15 As outlined
6.16 The 2 metre field boundary and the boundary itself, is designed to be a non-interfered with area (other
than the general maintenance previously mentioned). This must be clearly indicated and clearly
communicated in the Whole Farm Conservation Management Plan that you have undertaken at the
farm. This should take the form of a clear directive from the farm management to all people who work
on the farm.
6.17 LEAF farmers are encouraged to be sympathetic towards features of historical importance on their
farms. In some countries, the local, regional or national authorities will have placed restrictions on the
farming activities that can take place at or around these features. LEAF expects farmers to abide by
these restrictions. In other countries, LEAF farmers are expected to recognize and map out these
features and make reference to them in the Whole Farm Conservation plan. These features must not
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be destroyed or interfered with in any way. Examples include historical; water channels,
buildings/ruins, settlements. Historical could be interpreted as more than three generations back.
6.18 LEAF farmers are encouraged to allow flora and fauna to thrive on non-cropped land, rather than take
the option of land clearance. This has the benefit of encouraging a bio-diverse environment as well as
holding soils together to limit erosion.
6.19 If, as part of your conservation plan, you map out the bird and animal species that live on your farm,
you can get an idea of when these species will be fixed to one spot for nesting, breeding etc. LEAF
requires that you recognize this and adjust/modify farming activities as much as possible to avoid
disturbing/killing these species. It is a question of identification, marking up and avoiding areas of the
farm at any given, critical time. Through the provision of suitable habitats in non-cropped areas of the
farm, this issue can be mitigated. Some annual crops may be present during the nesting period or are
been harvested, this should be documented (crop planning) and included in the conservation plan and
compensated using the provision of other suitable habitats in non-cropped areas of the farm. Pruning
of some Fruit Tree crop species should be considered and adjusted to avoid disturbance of nesting
species as orchards provide a valuable habitat of all bird species.
6.20-6.22 As outlined
6.23 On the basis that few landlords will be LEAF MARQUE accredited, it will generally fall to you the farmer
to carry out the environmental assessment of the land. The land should be brought into your
Conservation
Management Plan, but the activities that you plan should be commensurate with the length of the
lease. So, the land should be farmed sympathetically with your whole farm Integrated Farm
Management plan, but LEAF encourages you to be pragmatic with expenditure. When the land reverts
back to the landlord, it should be in an enhanced environmental state compared to when it was leased
out.
6.24 LEAF farmers should not restrict nor prohibit the movement of people across their land, where the
people have a traditional or legal right to move across that land.
6.25/6.26 As outlined.
6.27 As recommended. Clearly, if you have adopted IFM and have become LEAF MARQUE accredited, you
need to clearly direct the IFM policies that need to be adopted by any tenant for the period of the
lease.
7.0 Animal Husbandry
Principle Summary (not binding for audit purposes):
Under an IFM system, consideration is given to the way decisions are made on the whole farm. Not only
does this include animal welfare, grassland, forage and crop management, but also the attention to detail
demanded in order to ensure sound animal husbandry techniques, environmental responsibility and an
economically viable farming business.
7.1 The efficient utilisation of grassland and forage crops is a key element affecting grazing livestock
productivity and profitability. Planned grazing management should help to ensure a supply of good
quality forage while helping to minimising poaching and soil erosion/runoff. Particular attention should
be given to strip grazing where regular movement of an electric fencing is required so as to reduce
poaching and the risk of soil erosion/run off. Grazing under wet conditions can result in poaching,
increasing sward deterioration, increasing the risk of compaction, generating runoff and soil erosion.
The removal of livestock either temporarily or permanently from areas, which are sensitive to erosion
should be considered. This could include fencing riparian areas, relocating feed/water troughs to
hardened areas and provision of shelter away from steep slopes or wet areas. The installation of
purpose-built livestock tracks can also reduce the amount of poaching and provide improved access to
grazing areas.
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7.3 To reduce the risk to wildlife, cutting operations should be undertaken from one side of the field to the
other or cutting from the middle of the field outwards. Try and reduce the number of operations so as
to reduce disturbance to wildlife, particularly ground nesting birds.
7.4 Slurry storage facilities should be capable of storing a minimum of 4 months including rainwater. (This
maybe greater within nitrate vulnerable zones) Slurry tanks must have a minimum freeboard (reserve
volume) of 300mm while earth banked slurry lagoons must have a freeboard requirement of 750mm.
Storage capacity must be sufficient to avoid pollution. All new stores In the UK new or substantially
enlarged or altered structures since Sept 1991 must meet the requirements of the Control of Pollution
(Silage Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) Regulations 1991 (as amended) or relevant legislation in other
countries.
Even small amounts of silage effluent have the potential to cause significant pollution. All silage
effluent should be stored and disposed of safely. For silage made in silos a silage liquor tank with a
capacity 20 litres per cubic metre of silo capacity (up to 1500 cubic metres and then an additional 6.7
litres per cubic metre thereafter) should be provided. It is essential to plan the handling and use of
manures on a farm. This will ensure that good use is made of the nutrient content and organic matter
in manures and that the risks of causing environmental pollution are minimised. Defra’s Code of Good
Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water provides guidance on how to prepare a Manure
Management Plan. This plan will help in deciding when, where and at what rate to apply solid manures,
slurry and dirty water thereby reducing the risks of causing water pollution and transfer of pathogens
to water. You should regularly review and refer to your manure management plan before applying
manures.
When planning manure and slurry systems, information is needed on the quantity and nutrient content
of animal manures produced on a farm. Exact specifications and design depends on a number of
factors, including the number and type of livestock, the diet and feeding system, the volume of dirty
water and rainwater entering storage facilities, and the amount of bedding used. Although the volume
of manure to be managed will vary considerably with the amount of water introduced into the system
(often doubling the volume of slurry to be handled), estimates of the quantities of excreta produced by
livestock is a useful basis for planning purposes.
7.5 Adequate storage of animal manures and slurries is essential so as to avoid polluting surface and
groundwaters. Where less than 4 months storage is provided, a manure management plan should be
prepared to make sure that the lower capacity is sufficient to avoid pollution. Organic manures can
present a considerable environmental risk if not handled carefully, however they are valuable sources
of organic matter and plant nutrients which can result in large fertiliser savings. Manure management
plans should be used in conjunction with a nutrient management plan and regularly reviewed.
7.6 Dirty water is an effluent consisting of water contaminated by manure, urine, cleaning material, crop
seepage and other waste products. It is potentially up to 10 times more polluting than domestic
sewage and causes a large proportion of farm pollution incidents. It must be collected and disposed of
without causing pollution. Water pollution by dirty water can be avoided by ensuring sufficient storage
and choosing the correct system for its disposal. One of the guiding principles of slurry and manure
management is to cut down on the volume of dirty water and the need to handle it. Buildings that are
not fitted with gutters result in clean water discharges onto dirty yards. Run-off from clean areas needs
to be intercepted prior to flowing onto dirty areas. Many farms have drainage systems taking both
clean and dirty water, increasing the volume that needs to be collected, stored and disposed of safely.
Action taken to separate clean and dirty water will help reduce both the costs of storage and
application.
7.7 Grazing livestock and associated activities play a key role in the maintenance of many semi-natural
habitats including grassland, heath-land and pasture-woodland. The avoidance of under or over-grazing
(well managed grazing) in general can deliver environmental benefits. Cattle and mixed grazing will
produce a more diverse sward structure of plants, invertebrates and birds. Sensitive habitats that can
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be damaged by livestock access and grazing e.g. woodland and riparian areas should be identified in
your Whole Farm Conservation Plan and appropriate action taken to protect these areas.
7.8 A health plan demonstrates how you intend to manage your animals’ health. The health plan should
demonstrate how to prevent, reduce the risk of introducing disease and recognise, treat and control
existing conditions so as to keep livestock healthy. A health plan should be developed in conjunction
with your vet. It is important to keep records and review the progress of the health plan at regular
intervals. Further information can be found at
http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/fhp/about.htm
7.9 It is important to regularly review (at least on an annual basis) animal health and welfare issues with
your vet. Good records form the basis for reviewing any herd/flock health plan, these maybe recorded
in a diary or preferably as computer records. A good farmer-vet relationship is important as this will
help to make sure progress against the initial targets set out in the health plan is being achieved. This
will help to ensure herd/flock performance is improving. The review also presents an opportunity to
amend the existing plan in the presence of new challenges.
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Glossary
Here is a list of some of the terms used in this document and the LEAF Marque Standard:
Acre, (Ac): A unit of area. One acre is 4840 sq yards, 0.00156 sq miles, 0.405 hectares.
Agroecology: The study of the interrelationships of living organisms with each other and with their
environment in an agricultural system.
Audit: A systematic, independent and documented process for obtaining evidence and evaluating it objectively
to determine the extent to which specified requirements are fulfilled (Source: ISEAL Alliance).
Beetle banks: These provide mid-field refuges for predatory insects and spiders which over-winter there and
then invade the crop in the following spring to eat pest species such as aphids.
Biodiversity: The total complexity of all life, including not only organisms but also their behaviour and
interactions.
Biological control: The practice of using beneficial organisms—such as insect predators or parasites of pest
insects, pest disease agents, insect-eating birds and bats—to keep pest populations at a tolerable level.
Break crops: Crops grown between periods of continuous cultivation of a main crop, eg stubble turnips
Carbon dioxide sequestration: The capture of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in a solid material (such as
growing trees, other vegetation, and soils) or a carbon sink through biological or physical processes, such as
photosynthesis. CO2 sequestration is one of the means to mitigate the accumulation of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere released by the burning of fossil fuels.
Catch Crop: A crop grown to hold on to, or catch, excess nutrients still in the soil following an economic crop.
Rather than being leached from the soil, the nutrients are taken up by the catch crop and then returned to the
soil when the plants decompose.
Certification Body: A body that decides about the authorization, suspension or cancellation of a LEAF Marque
farm or LEAF Producer group certification. The Certification Body subcontracts inspection bodies and
controls the quality of their functions.
Certified Products: Crops and the products derived from them, produced by a certified farm for commercial
purposes. This includes processed or semi-processed products that have not been mixed with products from
non-certified farms.
Companion Crops: Crops that are planted close to one another to achieve some mutual benefit such as
repelling insect pests or attracting beneficial insects, shade, wind protection, support, or nutrient enrichment.
Conservation headland: The outer area of the cropped area of a field that is managed for wildlife. Conservation
headlands are also a refuge for rare and declining plants.
Continual Improvement: Recurring activity that has the effect of increasing the ability of a group to fulfill
specified requirements. The process of establishing objectives and finding opportunities for improvement is a
continual process, based on risk assessment, audit findings, management reviews and other means (Source:
ISEAL Alliance).
Cover Crop: A crop grown to prevent soil erosion by covering the soil with living vegetation and roots that hold
on to the soil. Cover crops are also grown to help maintain soil organic matter and increase nitrogen availability
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(green manure crop), and to “hold on” to excess nutrients (a catch crop) still in the soil following an economic
crop. Other benefits of cover crops include weed suppression and attraction of beneficial insects.
Crop Rotation: The practice of planting a sequence of different crops and cover crops on a specific field. Crop
rotations can be used to help build soil fertility, reduce insect pest pressure, and suppress weeds.
Document: Information and supporting media. The media may be paper, samples, photos, or on magnetic,
optic or electronic disk.
Drift: The deviation of particles from their intended direction during agrochemical application due to air
currents.
Economic Threshold (Integrated Pest Management): The level of infestation or pest attack at which the
benefits received (for example, in terms of yield or crops saved) cover the cost of the treatment or application.
Environmentally sensitive areas: The designated areas which will safeguard and enhance areas of land that
have particularly high landscape, wildlife or historic value and where possible improve public access.
Erosion: The removal or displacement of soil caused by the movement of water or wind. Severe erosion implies
the removal of the entire plough layer or "A" horizon (topsoil) of the soil.
Fallow: Resting land from deliberate cropping, not necessarily without cultivation or grazing, but without
sowing.
Farmyard manure (FYM): livestock faeces and urine mixed with straw or similar material used as bedding.
Forage: Leafy crops fresh or preserved, utilised as feed for animals
Free range: A system of poultry or pig keeping in which the creatures are allowed to range over a large area
rather than be kept indoors all the time
Grass Strips: Strips that are used adjacent to water courses and help farmers and growers to meet pesticide
regulations. The best use of a grass strip is in the field margin (so this could be against a hedge, a wood,
another field or a water course). Hey are usually between 1 and 2 metres wide. Farmers try to ensure fertiliser
does not go on grass strips and keep management to a minimum. Tussocky perennial grasses are the best for
wildlife and cost-effective management.
Greenhouse gas: A greenhouse gas is a gas that contributes to the natural greenhouse effect. The Kyoto
Protocol covers a basket of six greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced by human activities: carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride (Source: European
Environment Agency. Environmental Terminology and Discovery Service (ETDS)).
Green Manure: a cover crop grown to help maintain soil organic matter and increase nitrogen availability.
Legumes are often used because they have rhizobial bacteria living in their root nodules that are able to fix
nitrogen from the air and add it to the soil. Grasses grow quickly, providing biomass good for increasing organic
matter.
Habitat: The area of an environment where an organisms lives, feeds and breeds
Hay: Grass or other plants, such as clover or alfalfa, cut and dried for fodder.
Hectare, (Ha): A unit of area measurement. One hectare is 10,000 square metres, 100 ares and 2.47 acres.
High value ecosystems: Natural ecosystems of special importance to environmental conservation, such as
habitat that enables the reproduction of endemic and endangered species or hosts viable wild animal or plant
populations; provision of ecosystem services such as watershed protection in serious circumstances; or rare
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ecosystems. Examples are primary and secondary forests, bush and grass lands, streams, rivers, pools, lakes,
lagoons, swamps, marshes and bogs.
Humus: Well-decomposed organic matter which is resistant to further decomposition and which may persist
for hundreds of years. Humus holds on to some nutrients, storing them for slow release to plants.
Impact: Disturbance, consequence, repercussion or similar permanent effect of a human or natural cause.
Impacts may be positive or negative. They may affect a natural system, the environment, an animal or plant
population or individuals (environmental impacts), or human individuals or populations (social impacts).
Integrated Farm Management: IFM is synonymous with sustainable agriculture. It balances the requirements
of running a profitable business with responsibility and sensitivity to the environment. IFM incorporates total
resource management, which includes practices such as waste minimisation, recycling and energy efficiency, as
well as measures to reduce the use of inputs, enhance soil structure and maintain wildlife and landscape
features.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): A strategy of pest management that focuses on long-term prevention of
pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation,
modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Pesticides are used only after monitoring
indicates they are needed according to established guidelines, and treatments are made with the goal of
removing only the target organism. Pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes
risks to human health, beneficial and non-target organisms, and the environment. The objective of IPM is to
make conditions less favourable for pest development. Pesticides are used only when the damage caused by
pests is greater than the level that the farmer can economically sustain (see economic threshold).
Intercropping: the practice of planting two or more mutually beneficial crops in close proximity, typically as
alternating rows or numbers of rows. (On a small scale, this is often called companion planting). Benefits can
include insect or weed suppression, structural support, or shade.
Landscape: The visible features of an area of land, including physical elements such as landforms, living
elements of flora and fauna, abstract elements such as lighting and weather conditions, and human elements,
for instance human activity or the constructed environment.
Meadow: A grass field for mowing for hay or silage.
Minimal Tillage Technique (min till): Ploughing by light cultivations that do not penetrate the soil as deeply.
Min till fosters soil organisms, provides a food source for earthworms and creates habitats for beneficial fauna.
Also called ‘non inversion tillage systems’.
Mitigation plan: A series of actions to compensate the destruction of natural ecosystems including the
definition of responsible persons and specific timelines for each action. Actions include the planting of native
plant and tree species, set aside of areas for natural regeneration, as well as ex-situ measures of conservation
authorized by government authorities.
Mitigation: Projects or programs intended to offset known impacts to an existing natural resource, human
being or community.
Monitoring: The systemic observation of changes or impacts to the environment due to human activities.
Mulching: the practice of spreading organic materials—such as straw, compost, or wood chips—over otherwise
bare soil between and among crop plants. Mulching helps to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and build soil
organic matter.
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Native Species: Those species that occur naturally in the place where they are found. For the purpose of this
standard, naturalized species – exotic species that have adapted and grow and multiply as if they are native –
are also considered as native if it is proven that they do not cause negative economic or environmental
impacts.
Natural ecosystems: A dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living
environment interacting as a functional unit (Source: Convention on Biological Diversity). Examples are aquatic
ecosystems, such as streams, rivers, pools, ponds, lakes, lagoons, and other bodies of liquid water that exist
naturally; wetlands such as swamps, marshes, mangroves or bogs; terrestrial ecosystems, such as primary and
secondary forests, bush lands, grass lands or other advanced natural succession stages without significant
human disturbance for minimum 10 years. Each SAN representative provides further local interpretation
considering local biophysical conditions.
Natural resources: A feature or component of the natural environment that is of value in serving human needs,
e.g. soil, water, plant life, wildlife, etc. Some natural resources have an economic value (e.g. timber) while
others have a "non economic" value (e.g. scenic beauty). (Source: UNUN http://www.eionet.europa.eu).
Non native species: Those species not native to the place where they are found. Species introduced from other
regions or areas.
Organic farming: Farming using rotation, clover, no synthetic chemicals or routine anti-biotics. The term
‘organic’ is defined by law and all organic food production and processing is governed by a strict set of rules.
Paddock grazing: A field is subdivided into paddocks and each is grazed in turn by a flock or herd and then
rested. See also strip grazing and set stocking below.
Pasture: Grassland harvested by the grazing of livestock.
Permanent pasture: A field in which the dominant species are perennial grasses. Permanent pasture is not
ploughed and reseeded.
Policy: Global intentions of the farm or business’ orientation with respect to the standard and its requirements.
Potable Water: Water that is of sufficiently high quality so that it can be consumed or utilized without risk of
immediate or long term harm.
Primary forest: A forest which originally covered a region before changes in the environment brought about by
people (Source: PHC http://www.eionet.europa.eu).
Procedure: Procedure: Specified way to carry out an activity or a process (Source: ISEAL Alliance).
Programme: A planned course of action with a detailed and explicit set of directions for accomplishing a
purpose.
Record: Record: Document stating results achieved or providing evidence of activities performed (Source: ISEAL
Alliance).
Renewable energy: Energy sources that do not rely on fuels of which there are only finite stocks. The most
widely used renewable source is hydroelectric power; other renewable sources are biomass energy, solar
energy, tidal energy, wave energy, and wind energy (Source: EEA multilingual environmental glossary
http://glossary.eea.europa.eu).
Resistance: Fundamental ability of an organism to avert the attack of a potential pathogen up to a certain
degree or to resist the effect of a harmful agent.
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Rotation: A cropping system in which crops are grown in a field in an annual sequence. A rotation reduces the
build up of diseases and pests, aids weed control, improves soil fertility, spreads the risk of crop failure and
allows even distribution of labour and machinery requirements.
Silage: Main preservation method of grass for winter feeding to cattle and sheep
Slurry: Thick suspension of a finely divided substance in a liquid producing a paste-like liquid.
Soil Organic Matter (SOM): Soil organic matter has three parts: living organisms, fresh residues, and well-
decomposed residues (the living, the dead, and the very dead). Fresh residues are a primary source of food
for living organisms. Decomposition of fresh residues releases nutrients needed by plants. Well-decomposed
matter, also called “humus,” holds on to some nutrients, storing them for slow release to plants
Strip grazing: This method allocates a fresh area of grass or forage area of the field each day to livestock, by
means of an electric fence or other suitable barrier.
Stubble: The part of the crop left above the ground after harvesting cereals such as wheat, barley etc.
Sustainable agriculture: A method of agriculture that is economically viable, socially responsible and
ecologically sound. The economic, social and ecological aspects are all interrelated and essential to
sustainability - a system capable of maintaining productivity indefinitely.
System: Set of elements that interacts and relates amongst them. A management system is a system to
establish policy and objectives and to obtain those objectives.
Tilth: the physical structure of soil as it influences plant growth. A soil with good tilth is porous, allowing water
to infiltrate easily, and permitting roots to grow without obstruction.
Threatened or Endangered Species: Species of flora and fauna indicated as threatened or endangered in
applicable laws as well as by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ IUCN
Red List of Threatened Species™.
Trap Crop: a crop that is planted to lure pest insects away from an economic crop.
Waste: Waste is an unwanted or undesired material or substance. It is also referred to as rubbish, trash,
garbage, or junk depending upon the type of material and the regional terminology. Most waste is comprised
of paper, plastic, metals, glass, food waste, organic material, faeces and wood.
Wastewater: Any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises
liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can
encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations.
Wildlife Corridors: Corridors that provide routes for animals to travel between where they can forage for food.
These ‘corridors’ are not cultivated every year so farmers can use ‘set-aside’ or buffer strips for temporary
corridors. Hedgerows and beetle banks are examples of permanent corridors.
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